Guide to growing garden plants - Helenium Yellow Star

The genus Helenium contains plants that are hardy perennial in nature.

They reach heights between 60 and 120cm, and have daisy like flowers of red, orange or yellow.

They come into bloom from the end of summer until the first frost of bloom. Some common names of Helenium include Yellow Star, Sneezeweed and False Sunflower.

How to grow Yellow Star (Helenium)

Yellow Star can be grown outside from seed by sowing them at the start of autumn or the start of spring. Once the seed is sown give it a light covering of topsoil. they should be grown in a sunny area of the garden, ideally with a rich soil of PH 5.5 to 7. If you prefer you can start Helenium plants off indoors first by sowing them about 10 weeks before they are due to be transplanted into the garden; before the last frost of spring. Yellow star should take around one to two weeks to germinate at a temperature of 21 degrees Centigrade. Once ready the seedlings should be transplanted about 40cm apart (small species of Helenium) or 75cm apart (large species of Helenium).

Caring for yellow star and other Helenium plants

Once growing in the garden, yellow Star, Sneezewort and other Helenium members should be pinched back in the spring to delay flowering until the autumn. Following flowering deadhead the plants to encourage further growth. At the end of the flowering season cut the plants back to the ground. It is best to divide every four years to maintain healthy growth; division can also be used to create more plants in the spring.